Turntables — Sme Synergy Diamond Series

The Synergy Diamond Series is an anniversary version of SME's first integrated turntable. SME is a British company founded in 1946 and best known for its tonearms. The Synergy, launched in 2018, combines a new SME turntable with the Series IV tonearm, an Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti cartridge, a phono stage developed by Nagra and Crystal Cable silver wiring, all set up at the factory. The Diamond Series marks SME's 75th anniversary in 2021 with a hand-cut diamond finish on the aluminium.

Key specs that matter

Speeds are 33 and 45 rpm. It is 370 mm wide and 350 mm deep, and 178 mm high to the top of the tonearm, with a 304 mm platter, a spindle-to-pivot distance of 215.35 mm and a weight of 19.59 kg. The separate speed control unit measures 170 x 305 x 68 mm. The tonearm has an effective mass of 10.5 g, takes cartridges weighing 5 to 16 g and offers 0 to 3 g of tracking force. Overhang is 17.8 mm, with null points at 66.04 and 120.9 mm.

Engineering and use context

The main chassis is machined from a solid billet of aerospace-grade aluminium in ten CNC operations and then extensively finished by hand. A trilateral sub-chassis, also cut from one billet, carries the main bearing and tonearm and rests on three suspension posts. The whole deck stands on four large polymer isolators inside adjustable levelling feet. The control electronics and power supply sit in an external CNC-machined case, away from the platter and phono stage, and its front panel carries the speed buttons with LED indicators. The MK2 version adds a revised drive system for better speed control.

The arm uses the one-piece pressure die-cast magnesium tube of the Series IV, internally damped, on a yoke with 10 mm ball races. It is mounted on a 23 mm hardened steel pillar with widely spaced 17 mm bearings that resist tilt, and the headshell mounting is machined and free of enamel. The Nagra phono stage is built into the main chassis and runs from its own 12 V supply for isolation, with selected and matched bipolar transistors, audiophile capacitors and MELF resistors. With arm, cartridge and phono stage configured at the factory, setup is minimal.

Pairing

Since the Nagra stage is part of the deck, the Synergy connects straight to any line input, so it works with integrated amplifiers that lack a phono section. It also fits owners who want a complete record source without separate setup.

Alternatives

SME's Model 12 MK2 is a turntable supplied without an integrated phono stage.